English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill: Motion relating to Lords Amendments 36, 90 and 155
270Ayes
170Noes
Carried · majority 100 · Government won209 did not vote
649 Members · Aye 270 · No 170 · DNV 209 · grey dots in centre are abstentions
Analysis
Commons
Commons
Parliament voted on 27 April 2026 to insist on the Commons' rejection of three Lords amendments (36, 90 and 155) to the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, passing by 270 votes to 170. The government's motion also proposed its own amendments in place of the Lords changes, continuing the back-and-forth process between the two Houses known as "ping-pong." Lords amendments 36, 90 and 155 concerned local authority consent in the devolution process, specifically the circumstances under which the Secretary of State can impose new governance arrangements on a local authority without that authority's agreement. The Lords had sought stronger protections requiring local assent; the government rejected that position and substituted its own amendments, which Labour MPs argued provided adequate safeguards while preserving the Secretary of State's ability to drive forward devolution. Opposition members and some government backbenchers argued the replaced provisions were insufficient, particularly for areas such as Cornwall. The vote divided almost entirely along party lines. All 268 Labour and Labour Co-operative MPs present voted with the government, while 96 Conservatives, 57 Liberal Democrats, 5 Greens and 4 DUP members voted against. No government rebels were recorded. The Liberal Democrats and Conservatives argued the government was concentrating power in Whitehall rather than genuinely devolving it, while some Labour backbenchers from Cornwall expressed concern in the debate even as they voted with the whip.
Voting Aye meant
Support the government's position on Lords Amendments 36, 90 and 155 to the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill
Voting No meant
Oppose the government's position, backing the Lords' original amendments to the Bill
Each row is one party. The stacked bar gives the within-party split of Aye / No / Absent; the columns on the right give the raw counts. The whip column shows the published party position — “Free vote” means the whip was formally removed for this division.
Party
Whip
Aye / No / Abs
Aye
No
Abs
Labour Party
Whipped Aye
243
0
118
Conservative and Unionist Party
Whipped No
0
96
20
Liberal Democrats
Whipped No
0
57
15
Labour and Co-operative Party
Whipped Aye
25
0
17
Independent
—
1
5
7
Scottish National Party
—
0
0
9
Reform UK
—
0
0
8
Sinn Féin
—
0
0
7
Democratic Unionist Party
Whipped No
0
4
1
Green Party of England and Wales
Whipped No
0
5
0
Plaid Cymru
—
0
0
4
Social Democratic and Labour Party
—
1
0
1
Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
—
0
0
1
Restore Britain
—
0
1
0
Speaker
—
0
0
1
Traditional Unionist Voice
—
0
1
0
Ulster Unionist Party
—
0
1
0
Your Party
—
0
1
0
Source · Hansard · UK Parliament Votes API · whip status from announced positions; “free vote” indicates the whip was formally removed
Government minister defending concessions on rural/coastal affairs and parish councils while resisting statutory protections for brownfield and music venues, arguing devolution works best through local flexibility not central mandates.Labour · Voted aye · Read full speech (6,531 words) →
Opposition challenges the Bill as centralizing despite its devolution title; calls for brownfield prioritization, local consent for authority mergers, and stronger parish council protections to genuinely empower communities.Conservative · Voted no · Read full speech (1,665 words) →
Welcomes rural and coastal amendments but criticizes forced governance model changes and brownfield rejection as false devolution; demands real local choice and environmental protection.Liberal Democrat · Voted no · Read full speech (901 words) →
Backs agent of change principle for music venues to prevent legal harassment; supports statutory protection to avoid £50k+ defence costs for cultural venues threatened by residential development.Labour · Voted aye · Read full speech (765 words) →
Argues for local consent on mayoral powers and highlights Cornwall's national minority status under European conventions; calls for consultative, not directive, approach to devolution.Labour · Voted no · Read full speech (1,279 words) →
Criticizes two-year delay on Secretary of State powers over combined authorities; demands permanent protections for Cornwall's national minority status and meaningful devolution.Labour · Voted no_vote_recorded · Read full speech (905 words) →
Advocates statutory agent of change protection for grassroots music venues; documents 350 closures and argues planning guidance alone is insufficient without enforcement and stronger NPPF language.Labour · Voted aye · Read full speech (2,059 words) →
Demands mandatory rather than consultative parish council inclusion in neighbourhood governance; argues 20% of country lacks democratic structures and Government amendment leaves gap unresolved.Labour · Voted no_vote_recorded · Read full speech (1,363 words) →
Sources
Division dataUK Parliament Votes API
DebateHansard · Commons
Stance analysisAI analysis · Claude 4.x
LicenceOpen Parliament Licence v3.0